Mitford Hundred and Half: Westfield

WESTFIELD.

Alan Earl of Richmond, was lord of this town, of which the church of Ely, was deprived, who held it in the time of the Confessor, and Facion was enfeoffed of it, by that Earl; there belonged to it a carucate of land, with 8 villains and 8 borderers, one carucate in demean, and 2 carucates and 3 acres of meadow, of the tenants, with a mill, valued then at 60s. at the survey at 40s. it was 6 furlongs long, and 6 broad, and paid 6d. gelt. (fn. 1)

This Facion was also enfeoffed by the said Earl of the lordship of Nerford; how long he or his descendants held it does not appear.

In the 8th of Edward I. John le Briton held it by the fourth part of a fee, and paid 10s. per ann. castleguard, to Richmond, and was valued at 100s. per ann. and in the 21st of that King, Sir Philip le Breton, and Cassandra his wife held it. (fn. 2)

Sir Edmund de Hederset was lord in the 20th of Edward III. John Duke of Bedford and of Richmond, (fn. 3) was the capital lord in the 14th of Henry VI. and Edmund Earl of Richmond, in the 35th of that King, when Sir Thomas Kerdeston, held it of him.

The prior also of the house of Salutation of the mother of God, of the Carthusians in London, had also an interest herein, and a charter for the manor of Westfield, and that of Middleton Cheyney, in Northamptonshire, in the first year of Richard II. (fn. 4)

On the dissolution of the Charter-house, it came to the Crown, and was granted in the 36th of Henry VIII. Febuary 26, to Sir Thomas Wriothesly, and Sir Richard Southwell, who held it in his own right in the 38th of that King, and paid a fee farm rent for it, of 25s. 4d. per ann. to the Crown.

From the Southwells it came to the Cranes, and Richard Crane, Esq. brother and heir of Sir William Crane, Knt. held it in 1642, then a Baronet; and William Crane, Esq. inherited it, who about 1662, settled it, with Mary, his wife, on Robert Clayton, Esq. afterwards a Knight, and Lord Mayor of London, and Sir William Clayton inherited it in 1740, and William Clayton, Esq. is the present lord and patron.

The tenths were 2l. 2s. Deducted 1l. 10s.

The Church is a rectory, dedicated to St. Andrew, and a single long pile covered with lead; the chancel is down, and has a square tower with 2 bells. The present valor is 7l. 16s. 8d. ancient valor 5l. Peter-pence, 7d.

In a south window, checque, or and sable, a fess, ermine, Beckham; and in a north window, sable, a cross ingrailed, or, Ufford.

Sir John de Breton was lord and patron in the reign of Edward I. when the rector had a manse, and 15 acres of land.

Rectors.

In 1300, Henry Basset was instituted; presented by Sir Thomas de Wyteworth, Knt.

1315, John de Richmond, by Cassandra, relict of Sir Philip de Breton.

1345, Jeffrey Waryn, by Sir Edmund Hedyrsete.

1349, Adam Pagge. Ditto.

1397, John Grys, by James de Billingford, and Andrew Atte-Heg. Simon Norman, rector.

1437, John Hebbyn, by the prior of the Carthusians, by London.

1439, William Cowley. Ditto.

1460, David Styward. Ditto.

1468, Richard Cooke. Ditto.

1469, John Twe. Ditto.

1470, John Dunston. Ditto.

1482, John Ivys. Ditto.

1504, William Rust.

1515, Henry Nesse.

1536, John Ferrour, by the prior &c.

1549, John Garland, by Sir Richard Southwell.

1558, James Womoke. Ditto.

1572, William Gladon, by Thomas Lord Paget.

1579, Thomas Settle, by the Queen, a lapse.

1585, William Morris, by William Chancy, Gent.

1592, John Matthew, (fn. 5) by Sir Robert Southwell.

1619, Daniel Chapman, by Sir Thomas Southwell.

1647, Euph. Porter, by William Crane, Esq.

1683, Zachariah Pooley, by the King.

1703, Thomas Snyon, by Sir Robert Clayton.

1733, John Coleman. Ditto.

1753, George Thomas, by William Clayton, Esq.

The temporalities of the priory of Westacre, were 5s. 11d.